Better in Time
by Mindl3ss-Cr3ator
Summary: Kimiko gets an unwanted invitation but is pressured to accept it- and she has the time of her life! But when she lets her guard down, a new threat emerges; her own desires. What happens when she finds comfort in the arms of another man? And what happens when your friends do not accept him because he is your sworn enemy?... RATED T FOR LATER CHAPTERS.
1. Chapter 1

So, for all who subscribed to me, I will be finishing Tails Takes Cool Lessons (so don't threat!) But in the mean time, I have been working on a new fanfiction in a new fandom. So as I work on the final chapters for TTCL, I will be posting updates for this story as well. I think that just about covers it... *pushes glasses to the top of my head, smiling* Well, enjoy the read if you want. And, please R&R.

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**CHAPTER 1**

As she walked down the streets chatting away, Kimiko felt a sense of accomplishment. Not only had she mastered her Wudai weapon and element, but she helped save the world from falling under the Heylin rule of Chase Young, Hannibal Bean and Wuya- Jack was not the greatest threat and often switched sides. In Kimiko's eyes, the "evil boy genius" did not count. Hannibal had been one of their formidable foes, using the Shen Gong Wu to manipulate the appearances of others for his own personal gain. Though it was smart, she found it hard to trust her friends after that. Sometimes Kimiko even checked for any signs of the little beans' return. Thinking of the old hag upset her as well, but not more so than the Kung Fu Master the witch claimed by her side. Chase had given his soul to be the best and in the process became a monster. Just the very thought of such obsessive pride was enough to make the Dragon Warrior heave. She could never imagine herself turning to the dark side. Turning against your own kind was the biggest disgrace and her father always emphasized the importance of kindness and loyalty. _Papa... I should call him. But first... _

Kimiko flipped her temporary purple hair with a smile and tuned back into the conversation between her and Keiko. She had dropped in just in time to catch the end of Keiko's sentence, which emphasized how she despised the color green. Though Kimiko did not catch the reason why, she groaned, tilting her head. "Tell me about it. Last week my papa had sent me some clothes he bought for me- I love papa, don't get me wrong- but there was a yellow shirt! Not the bright kind but the one that looks white and blends with my skin. Everyone knows yellow washes out my complexion!"

Keiko agreed. "You know, we could trade shirts! I'll send you my green one and you can send me your yellow one."

Kimiko broke into a smile. "That's awesome! I totally owe you one." Just as she ended her sentence she felt the breeze pick up, making her hair wave in all sorts of directions. Kimiko pulled an arm over her head for cover, looking over her shoulder in attempt to see who it was. Hard to see when you had wind being blown into your face. Just as the wind died down and everything seemed to settle, her stomach did not. At the sight of a black trench coat she groaned, pulling her hair back into place as her attention turned back to the phone. "Ugh, I'll call you later Keiko. Uh huh, arigato Keiko. Bye."

"Well, if it isn't the Dragon of Fire herself!" Geez. He was even more annoying without an active Shen Gong Wu around. Kimiko turned to face him and was met with a mischievous grin and deep red eyes. The propellers from his helipack were still in the works of slowing down and made his hair undulate. She bared her teeth and took a step forward, fists clenched as she readied herself for an attack.

"Get lost you creep!"

Jack scoffed, crossing his arms as his grin turned into a challenging smile. "No way. Not until you answer my question."

Kimiko answered blankly. "No."

With the immediate rejection Jack sat up, frowning as he points a finger at her. "Hey, no fair! I didn't even ask you yet!"

"I'm not interested." And with that said she turned and started walking away. Jack starts tapping his fingers on the arm of the bench, a bemused expression on his face as he waited for her to turn around. When the Xiaolin Warrior showed no intentions of returning, Jack let out an irritated sigh and called out his Third Arm Sash. In a break neck speed the cloth shot towards Kimiko and wrapped around her arms, trapping her as it slowly brought her back. The warrior wretched and yelled in protest, obviously upset that she had allowed herself to be caught by the enemy again. The bared her teeth at Jack, a deep hatred burning in her eyes. "Let me go now."

Jack frowns as he stands and meets Kimiko's fiery gaze. His stare is indifferent as he shoves a paper to her chest, releasing the Third Arm's Sash grip on her waist as he takes a step back. At Kimiko's questioning stare. he crosses his arms and turns away, waving his hand to brush it off. "Just take it."

Kimiko nearly screamed as she read the little paper over. It was smaller than she had expected and it had a transparent city design as the backdrop. In big, bold letters read the cost of the ticket and the time and date of the event. She could not believe this. "A prom ticket?"

"My parents are making me go," Jack added as if to make a difference, "I'm not happy about either but they went ahead and bought two-"

Kimiko cut him off, shoving the ticket back into his chest. Jack stumbled back a few steps as he was unprepared for the mini blow, letting the ticket float to the sidewalk. "I rather let the world fall into ten thousand years of darkness than go to prom with you."

Jack frowned in protest. "Why not?" He summoned the Third Arm Sash again, this time beckoning the cloth to pick up the ticket from the floor. "I thought girls liked dressing up and crap."

Kimiko scoffed. "Because it's you."

"Gee, thanks for the confidence boost," the self proclaimed Evil Genius replied dryly.

Kimiko poised her nose to the air, her lips still in a frown as she waves him off. "Why don't you ask Katnappe? I'm sure she's dying to go with you."

Spicer shuddered in disgust. Just the thought of blonde hair and cat puns was enough to give him a head splitting headache. If it was Ashley's choice, she would wear her cat suit to prom and terrorize the ginger with her sharp claws. Heck, Ashley would be crazy enough to bring her genetically enhanced super kittens; those things were lethal. Jack frowned as he ended his thoughts, attention back on the warrior in front of him. "Ashley would claw my eyes out, and I hate her guts."

Kimiko looked over her shoulder, smiling a bit to herself out of spite. "And I don't?"

"Well, yeah. But you're the good guy," Jack retaliated dumbly. This got nothing out of the teen before him, her gaze just as cold as it had been a few minutes before. He matches her stare before finally sighing in defeat, activating his helipack as his feet lifted off the ground. His frown was still present as he looked down at her, shaking his head as he was lifted higher off the ground. "Fine. Be that way. Not like you were my first choice anyways."

"Thank you!" Kimiko waited until Jack had his back turned to walk away. Good riddance! As she is walking down the sidewalk, she hears her cell phone chime and flips it out. She peers at the caller ID before breaking into a smile, answering with her usually perky tone as she picks up her walking pace. "Papa! How are you?"

"I am doing well. How is my little lotus flower?," her papa replied just as happily.

Kimiko's heart warmed as she heard the nickname, smile softening as she continued to walk. "I'm fine. You know how things get at the temple."

Just as the conversation was getting somewhere, Kimiko was knocked to the ground. Her cell phone skid across the sidewalk and stopped a few mere feet away, showing the call had not been dropped. She glared up at her assailant, only to be met with liner and red hair. Jack Spicer had purposefully crashed into her, now holding Kimiko in a tight grip as he cried into her dress. In a painfully plaintive cry, he sobbed "Please Kimiko! No one wants to go with me because I'm a loser and I don't wanna be alone!"

Kimiko let out a small growl and roughly shoved him off, crawling over to her phone as she yelled at him to get lost. She took a calming breath and answered her papa, forcing herself to sound happy. "Sorry about that papa. As you were saying?"

"Kimiko, who was that?"

The warrior rolled her eyes. "Oh. Just Spicer," she replied in disdain. That was when Jack snatched the phone from Kimiko's lithe fingers and gave her a hard stare, covering the speaker as he pronounced his full name to Kimiko before turning his back to her, answering the phone with a no nonsense, matter-of-fact tone. "Hello , the name's Jack Spicer. How are you?"

"Oh. Well, I am doing well Jack. How about you?"

"Me," he asked innocently. That was when he turned to Kimiko with a little smirk. "Eh, I could be doing better..."

"What seems to be the issue?" leaned back in his chair, setting his wrench on his lap as he swiveled the chair to look over the city of Tokyo. That was when Jack sighed hopelessly.

"You see , a school dance is coming up. I normally wouldn't go but my parents had already bought me two tickets. I don't want their money to go to waste and I've been having trouble finding a date." Jack took the opportunity to look at Kimiko. She was even paler than usual as he said the word, which gave Jack an even wider smile. "Since it's short notice, I asked your daughter if she would like to come!... but she denied my invitation. I get that she's a Xiaolin Warrior and she has her duties but, would it hurt her to take one night off; you know?"

nods along to every word Jack is saying, finding himself in thought as he asked the evil genius to put his daughter back on the phone. When Jack had offered her phone, Kimiko snatched it and gave him a pout-y glare. She answered the phone with her same perky tone, forcing a smile as she took a couple of steps away from Jack. "Yes papa?"

"Kimi..." slips off his glasses and starts twirling a pencil in between his fingers, watching a flashing billboard with makeup and toothpaste propaganda. "Why don't you attend prom with ? He seems like a nice boy."

Kimiko blinked, asking incredulously. "Nice? Jack? But papa, don't you remember? He turned you and your employees into mindless zombies and tried to take over your company!"

"As I recall, that was Panda Bubba, and I regret forming a partnership with the very person who tried to ruin it."

"But did he not help retrieve your chi from the Ying Yang world?" Her papa ruffled his hair a bit, swiveling his chair back to his desk.

"Well, yeah..."

"And did he not help you defeat Wuya?"

"Yes, but only because she betrayed him-"

Her papa interrupted her softly. "Kimiko... I agree with what Jack Spicer is saying. Training at the temple has consumed much of your time, and I think this dance will be good for you. You deserve the break."

Kimiko thought about all the hardships she had experienced a the temple. Since her arrival, she has done nothing but train and fight and do chores. There are times she was free, but she would spend it at the temple with her fellow warriors. When she left Tokyo, she had left many of her friends and her family. Kimiko had also lost out on opportunities to attend traditional ceremonies. Maybe her papa was right. Maybe she did need a break from the temple- even if it was for only one night. With a silent sigh Kimiko frowned softly, reminding herself it would be with, and for, Jack Spicer. "Okay papa. I... I'll do it. For you."

With the change of heart the father smiled, setting the pencil down as he stands up to meet his assistant manager at the door. "Thank you... I have a meeting to attend to, but I will call you back when I find the time. I love you my little flower."

"I love you too, papa. Bye..." Kimiko only hung up when she heard the dial tone, sighing as she stared at the screen. The things she did for her father. The moment of peace was short lived when Jack craned into Kimiko's shadow, head inches away from resting on her shoulder as he smiled smugly, letting out a little laugh.

"So, when do you want me to pick you up? Seven?"

This earned the red head an elbow to the gut. Evil Boy Genius now doubled over in pain, Kimiko takes the opportunity to grab Jack by the jacket. Her cold glare had returned, and with a vengeance. "I don't think so. If you want me to go anywhere with you, meet me here Friday at three."

Jack instantly gets defensive, scrunching up his nose as he pulls away from Kimiko's grip. "Three! Prom starts at eight!"

That is when Kimiko scowls at him, jabbing a finger into his chest as she ends every sentence. "If I'm going anywhere with you, you're taking me out. You are going to pay for my nails. You are going to pay for my hair. You _are_ going to pay for my dress. You _are_ going to pay for my shoes. And you **are **going to pay for dinner."

Jack returns her scowl, stepping away as he glares her down, crossing his arms and huffing stubbornly. "No way girlie."

This is when Kimiko breaks into a smug smile, stepping away as well as she waves her phone. "Okay. Then you can go _alone_." With that said, the warrior turned with her dignity and started to walk away. Jack stood there, watching her dress sway with every step Kimiko took. It definitely was not his style- too soft and refined- but Kimiko herself... even if she drove a hard bargain, she agreed to attend prom with him nonetheless. As Kimiko reaches the corner Jack groans and chases her down with his helipack. When he is close enough, he lowers himself back to the ground and quickly walks in front of her, blocking her way to cross the road. She looked up and met crimson eyes, which were still filled with annoyance and hate, and crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently. With a huff Jack crossed his arms as well, closing his eyes as he gave her a frown.

"Fine, I'll pay, okay?" He opens his eyes, meeting Kimiko's. There was a devilish hint in those blue eyes- one he's only ever seen when she had accepted a challenge or just made a rude remark towards him. He looks away, frown deepening. "You're lucky I'm desperate."

Kimiko managed a shrug, punching Jack's arm as she walked past him. She had a smile to match her eyes, and as she slipped the ticket out of the grasp of his present Third Arm Sash, she slyly added, "and rich."

And Jack stood there. As Kimiko walked away, he could only stare with that frown on his face. It's almost like it was etched there, and he could not think of anything other than what the warrior just said. And rich... A spark suddenly ignited and his anger built, staring up at the sky as he took off again, growling in disbelief.

"That Xiaolin-loser punked me!"

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And that's the first chapter. *face desk*

So, um, what did you guys think? Good? Bad? But it's only heating up :D

Thank you for reading and, please, Read and Review!

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**A/N: Personally, I rarely go on FFN anymore. In fact, any literature I have is on Deviantart. You can find me under "Mindl3ss-Cr3ator" if you ave not done so. I am a lot more active on there. ^^;**


	2. Activated- Xiaolin Side

_**CHAPTER 2**_

"And... done." Kimiko twisted her hair tie one more time for extra hold. Her hair had grown longer the last couple years and for that reason she has started putting her hair in a ponytail. She liked the update but missed the feeling of her pigtails flying in her face whenever she did a juliette flip. At least it was not a fire hazard anymore. Kimiko looked up at the ceiling in thought, recalling the one time she had set her hair on fire. It was during practice. Omi had shot his Orb of Tornami towards her and to exude the water, she directed her fire against him to evaporate the water. Then Raimundo had butted it and clapped a Sonic Boom. The wind had been weak enough to redirect Kimiko's embers right back towards her, setting light to her locks. They had put on a battle to get rid of the flames and in the end it was Clay who had enough common sense to dump a bucket of water on her. The dragon was enraged at the leader for giving her split ends and avoided him for the rest of the week. No Goo Zombies Seven for him. The leader had not even been allowed to be near Kimiko's room as she worked on reviving her locks; every time he tried, the door was slammed in his face or a flame ball of doom was thrown at his head. Kimiko puffed her cheeks, pouting at her reflection. _I had to get a completely new hair cut because of him. Does he know how expensive that is?_

Instead of waiting for an answer, she put away her brush and mascara. When she stood up to leave the room, she caught a corner of the little ticket peeking out of her purse. She shook her head and muttered to herself before putting away the ticket in her wallet, leaving it as that. Out of sight- out of mind.

But that had not been the case. Walking down the halls, Kimiko could not get Spicer's cheesy yellow smirk out of her head. _He looked so happy. No! So... So_ smug. _He's such a loser. I should of just dumped his invite when papa got off the phone. I could have just made up a story- threatened Jack to play along or I would break all of his toys. He would cry, yeah, but he always does. He's a mama's boy._ At the thought Kimiko giggled. Jack was loaded. If he wanted to, he could snap his fingers and buy out her papa's toy company. Spicer could do so much- and he limits himself to his robots! Not only does he spend all day playing with robots; he sits in his parents basement all day playing with his robots? She could not imagine how his parents dealt with him. _If I was his mom, I would wipe that crud off his face. If I was his _dad_? Ha, I would sit Jack in a corner and make him rethink his whole life over! Show him how to be a __**real**__ man! _By the time the dragon warrior had finished her train of thought she had reached the temple grounds.

The boys they had already begun practice. With Omi and Clay already enveloped in their own battle, Kimiko leaned against the stair rail with a smile. The youngest of the monks was using his wudai weapon as a pole to avoid Clay's craters, sailing over the cowboy with ease. With a look of determination Omi turned around, an ear to ear grin on his face. Before the gloating began Clay punched the ground and severed it in two. When Omi fell prey to the hole Clay smiled, tipping his hat back into place. "Sorry buddy. Maybe next time." That was when a spout of water shot out of the ground, sailing the dragon warrior into the sky. With a scream the cowboy crashed into the ground, making a crater where he landed. When Clay peered up with his blue eyes, Omi stood over the crater victorious. The same ear to ear grin was on his face as he laughed triumphantly.

"The heaviest will always fall the hardest to the ground!"

While Omi and Clay were roughing it out, their leader had taken part in a more tranquil exercise. The warrior gracefully jumped onto the next bamboo shoot, carefully plucking one of the feathers that floated in the air around him. Since his promotion, Raimundo had become more sophisticated. Though his anger still clouded his logic at times, the warrior was able to find more solutions to their problems in most any given scenario. Raimundo leaped onto another shoot, snatching a feather in mid air in the process, and looked at Omi. He gave the monk a lopsided smile, gesturing his hand suggestively. "I think you mean the bigger they are, the harder they fall."

"Yes. That too," Omi had replied confidently.

With the battle put aside Kimiko had taken the opportunity to meet up with her team, greeting the three with a wave. "Hey guys! What did I miss?"

Raimundo smiled, catching one last feather as he slid down a shoot. The warrior jumped to the ground when he was close enough, crossing his arms as he met up with his team at the center of the field. He brushed his hair out of his face, giving Kim a playful smile. "Where have ya been? 'Started to think you ditched us."

With the remark Kimiko giggled, nudging Rai's arm with her fist. "I was just in town."

"Doin' what?"

The dragon warrior did not want to discuss her run in with the enemy- or her embarrassing invite. Instead she gave him a playful smile. "Just window shopping. No biggie."

"Ooh, that sounds most pleasant," Omi cut in chipper-ly. "Did you find anything of interest?"

With the change of topic Kimiko's smile widened. She gave the dragon of water a swift nod. "Yeah! I wish I brought my credit card but maybe next time." That was when Clay nodded, dusting the dirt and pebbles off of his robe. Omi tilted his head curiously, giving Kimiko a look of uncertainty. "What is this credit card?"

It was the wind master's turn to jump into the conversation, making himself known as he put the yellow monk into a headlock, rubbing Omis head with his fist. "It's a piece of plastic people use to buy stuff instead of money smart one."

At this Omi's eyes glitter in wonder. "Aah! And you can use this plastic in exchange for goods without the aid of currency?"

It took Kimiko a few moments to wrap her mind around what Omi had implied. She gave him an uncomfortable smile, patting his shoulder. "Well, sorta." She broke away from the group, walking over to the chest of Shen Gong Wu. Kim bent down and picked out her Star Hanabi, tucking it into her sash as she dug around for the other Wu. She first tossed Clay the Fist of Tebigong, then Raimundo his Sword of the Storm. Omi's was the last Wu to be passed out, specifically for Kimiko's own purpose of finishing her explanation. "You have to pay the money back though- and more for interest."

Omi caught the Orb in his hands, staring at his reflection. He did not know what interest meant, but he was smart enough to catch 'pay more'. The monk shook his head in disapproval. "What a strange device."

Clay laughed along with the others, securing the Wu on his hand with a challenging smile. He tipped his hat, stating in his southern drawl,"Alright ya'll. Let's get back to-."

Raimundo leaped high into the air, smiling mischievously as he spun the sword in his hands, causing a whirl wind to form and catapulting him higher into the air. "Sword of the Storm- Wind!"

Dojo slithered onto the battlefield, snout dug into a scroll as he twitched. His tail was shaking uncontrollably and his eye twitched whenever he scanned a new sentence, trying his best to stay in a straight line. The dragon waved an arm to beckon the warriors over, calling for their attention with his projecting voice. "Hey kids! I- woah!" Before he could finish his sentence Dojo was propelled into the air, caught in the relentless storm of a tornado. Raimundo kept spinning, getting a kick of being at an advantage at the field- he had not realized he had dragged the dragon along. Frantically the other warriors started to wave their arms, fighting their way through the wind to grab Rai's attention. When the leader realized the team was not fighting back he flicked the sword to a stop, landing on his feet with a questioning brow. Dojo was not as lucky and was thrown into a tree. Raimundo winced at the sight and forced a smile, setting his sword down and kicking it to the side. Kimiko put her hands on her hips in disapproval. Clay lowered his hat over his eyes, shaking his head. Omi was the only one to spring into action, crouched on a free branch next to the tangled dragon. The monk gave Dojo a friendly smile. Kimiko looked over with a worried glance, hands shading her eyes from the intense sun. "Dojo. Are you okay?"

The dragon, tail still twitching, had put a thoughtful hand to his chin, staring at a passing cloud. "Oh yeah, I'm fine. Don't mind me." That was when the dragon got uptight, flailing his arms helplessly. "What do you think? Get me down from here!"

Omi smiled and quickly worked Dojo out of the tree. When the dragon was loose, he fell to the ground. Unprepared for the fall he face planted, rubbing his snout with a groan. The monk forced a smile, dropping next to Dojo and patting the top of his head. The reptile sighed and cracked his back as he let out a sigh of relief, tail rattling and eyes drooping in content. "Thanks Omi. I needed that."

"Dojo, quit messin' around," Rai impatiently interjected.

Clay nodded. "What was all your hootin' and hollerin' for?" That was when Dojo had explained a new Shen Gong Wu revealed itself. The warriors glanced at one another in surprise. There had not been an active Shen Gong Wu for a while. One going active now was a miracle- but on another occasion. Omi had made plans to hone his martial art skills and made no time for distractions, Raimundo was going to meet up with the elders to discuss some ideas he had for the dragons and the temples, Clay had no plans but found the new Wu inconvenient, and Kimiko had made an appointment at the salon that she would now have to reschedule. Clay frowned. "Hoo wee. That's mighty unpleasant."

Kimiko agreed, kneeling down to Dojo's level. "What is it?"

"The Genie Moo," Dojo replied. He opened the magic scroll and the image changed into a black and blue image of a cow shaped figurine. The scroll then proceeded to show a demonstration of the new wu, the holder facing it towards the opponent. The warriors watched as a mist exchanged between the two people in the drawing, the two now having a different personality than before. Then Dojo explains, "Whoever holds this Wu can swap personalities with whoever they please."

Raimundo smiled and punched the palm of his hand, staring up at the sky with a challenging smirk on his face. "Lets go get that Wu!"

With that the dragon tossed the scroll to the side and expanded to one hundred times his size. Clay was the one to pick up the scroll, knowing it would be best to keep it as a reference, before hopping onto Dojo. Omi hopped on as well, and Raimundo was able to use the wind to propel him onto the reptile. Kimiko had trouble finding her footing but Raimundo lent her a hand, giving her a chivalrous smile as they flew off. The dragon of fire settled in front of the leader with a pout. "I could of got on myself."

"You're welcome."

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**There we go. Chapter 2 up an' running. ^^**

**Chapter 3 to be up soon! Feel free to R&R!**


	3. Activated- Heylin Side

This is definitely the shortest update I've done so far, but I hope you guys enjoy reading this!

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**CHAPTER 3**

It was high noon, the usual time Jack Spicer toyed with his robots. He was using a welder's torch to burn the metal of a robot's head together, head nodding to his blasting stereo. The redhead was getting a headache- and not because of his constant head banging. This specific bot had been causing the genius many issues recently. There had been times it would attack the other bots, sometimes it would short fuse and catch fire- it had nearly attacked his mother. Thankfully Jack had his trusty wrench at his side. _A hard knock to the head. Nature's kill switch_. The genius switched the torch off and pulled his goggles back on top of his head, wiping his forehead with a nearby cloth. It was not the cleanest, and it smudged his forehead in soot, but it was better than having beads of sweat rolling down his face. With a sigh Jack reached into his toolbox, pulling out a heavy duty wrench. He watched it glint in the light, frowning as he adjusted the size to fit one of the bolts. Once that was fixed he had turned his attention back to his defective experiment, loosening the cover to reach the battery and wire compartment. The battery was a small chip no longer than his thumb and the wires intertwined in a highway of electrical currents. Jack adjusted his gloves and put his goggles back into place. He grabbed a stand and magnifying glass, using the stand to keep the glass in place as he leaned in for a closer examination. He had instantly noticed a loose wire in the midst of the mess, groaning as he nit and picked with his tongs and needle.

As Jack worked his way through the clutter, an all too unfamiliar face pranced down the stairs. The first thing the genius had noticed were the white slacks. He groaned, leaning back to look at his good counterpart. Good Jack beamed at Jack, setting down a plate near the tool box. It was fine china, as usual, a toasted sandwich being presented right at the center. Good Jack leaned closer and poured his bad self a cup of green tea, tilting his head with a sweet smile. "Hey buddy! I made you your favorite- no mayo and light on the lettuce!"

"Can't you see I'm busy," Jack snapped. Good Jack blinked in surprise at the tone. Nonetheless the vested menace stayed in his place as he stared Jack over with a bewildered expression. After mere moments of tinkering the evil genius turned his attention back to the plate, the frown still present on his face. "You melted the cheddar cheese, right?"

Good Jack giggled, tapping Bad Jack's nose at the change of heart. "And I cooked the turkey ham too!"

The genius' frown deepened as he had looked over at the plate once more. As Good Jack had said the ham was cooked and the cheese was melted, and to top it off he had toasted the bread with butter and cut off the crust; not that he had anything against the crusts, he liked the dark edges because they reminded him of his dark soul and that everything had its flaws, but it was still nice. Maybe _too_ nice. Regardless Jack shrugged off his jacket, pushing away from his table as he stalked into his personal bathroom. He unstrapped his gloves and harshly flicked them to a sludgy corner. He washed his hands with the antibacterial soap his mother had bought for him some time ago, drying them off with a nearby hand towel. Jack rarely used it but not because he did not value his hygiene. He liked to keep his workplace strictly business- which meant he ate his meals upstairs whenever he snapped out of his spells. When Jack made his way back to the table his counterpart had already beat him there, cutting the sandwich into four little sandwiches for what he called 'easy digestion'. Jack's red eyes narrowed as he grabbed the plate before slumping on the couch, easily tossing one of the sandwiches in his mouth. As Bad Jack chewed rudely and watched Good Jack's every move, Good Jack took the genius' break to look at his handiwork. With a smile he picked up the head of the robot, turning it upside down and shaking it a bit. Jack immediately shot out of his seat and yanked the head away, thwacking the back of Good Jack's head.

"Don't mess with my robots!" The genius held the robot head close to his own, sniffling as he stared at the ceiling with saddened puppy dog eyes, caressing the cool metal with his free hand. "They're fragile," he added as he wiped away at a fake tear.

Good Jack frowned apologetically, clasping his hands together. "I'm sorry, Jackie. I did not realize they mean so much to you..."

Bad Jack's frown returned as he turned the other cheek with a disapproving humph, setting the robot's head back to it's original spot on the table. "Yeah, well, they do." Then Jack took his chair, tipping it back far enough so he could kick his feet up on the table. Good Jack frowned sadly, retreating to the couch to drink his chocolate milk. He always felt like he was in the background. Whenever he tried to help Jack with an experiment, the other brushed him off like a fly. When he tidied up his work space, Jack would ruin it all over with another explosion, or even worse, just not clean up after himself. Good Jack let out a lonesome sigh, slouching in the chair. _Sometimes I wish he would see me as an equal. We're the same person. _The blue vested boy peered up from the chocolate bits floating in his drink. Once again his other half was nitpicking at the same robot, the sparks bouncing off the metal table top and onto the floor until they would die out. His frown deepened. _Yet so different..._ Good Jack pressed his back against the cushion, yelping in surprise. He stood up enough enough to retrieve what he had sat on, glancing it over curiously. It was a mechanism the size of a television remote, the only thing to catch his interest were arrows pointing in all directions. He held it by the antennae as it blinked, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Huh. That's weird."

The genius looked over at Good Jack with a mouthful of sandwich, leering. "What are you looking at?"

Good Jack tugged at his vest and walked over to his counterpart, showing the blinking remote. He kept looking over it curiously, not sure what to make of it. "I think it's defective. Is this supposed to be a homing device? Maybe a GPS? Because if this explodes, I'm not paying for the damages."

Bad Jack stared at the mechanism with no trace of interest. He waved it off, yawning. "Eh. It's probably not important. But it does look familiar." Out of curiosity the self proclaimed evil genius picked up the machine. It had jagged cookie cut edges, and fit really well in the palm of his hand. This left an unsettling nausea in his stomach. Jack was never one to forget about his inventions. He always programmed each bot and machine for a specific purpose. His machines always had a motive. A mission. A program.

So why did he not remember this one?

With a heavy sigh Jack swiveled his chair to his filing cabinet, popping open a file under the letter X. Everything he had ever designed for non-house purposes was stored in there. As he shuffled through the blueprints, Good Jack swayed over to the doors that led to the outside, letting out a content sigh as the sun kissed his skin. He loved the warmth it provided, but was always stuck inside. Albinism had it's kinks. Specifically, the sun was not his friend. When Good Jack went outside, he would have to wear a sunhat and long sleeves. He was afraid the exposure would burn his skin, and he was afraid of getting cancer. Yes. Cancer would not of been good for him or his garden. His Tiger Lilies and Rose bushes always bloomed their best in the Spring, and it was beautiful. He loved the vibrant colors and the fresh scents, but the best part was watching his hard work turn into something everyone could enjoy. Mother was always more than happy to invite her acquaintances and the neighbors over for her socialite events. It was better than sitting in the living room, discussing business over a plate of Orderves. At least when there were guests. Most days Jane Spicer would be on the road selling for a cosmetics line. This left Jack, and Jack, alone most of the time. Good Jack cooked, and Bad Jack breathed: that was the cycle.

Good Jack's train of thought was interrupted by a malicious laugh, which scared the daylights out of the yin out of Good Jack. He frowned as he hugged himself, nearly screaming "What was that for?"

Triumphantly Jack slipped on his trench coat and twirled to face Good Jack, a dark smirk on his face as he waved the device in his hand. The right arrow on the remote was still blinking. "Do you know what this is?"

"No."

"It's my Shen Gong Wu Detector! I made it when Wuya turned on me so I wouldn't need her abilities anymore. It's programmed to detect and lead me to any active Shen Gong Wu." Bad Jack let the sentence trail off, eyes flashing dangerously. "Do you know what this means, Jack?"

Good Jack twiddled his thumbs nervously. He opened his mouth, closed it again to think, then opened his mouth again when he had an answer. "That a Shen Gong Wu has activated?"

"Exactly!" Jack pushed away from the table, letting out an evil laugh. He waved his finger in the air, beckoning the Jackbots to follow. Good Jack surged forward, blocking his evil counterparts' only way out. Jack bared his teeth. "Get outta my way, loser. I have a wu to find."

Good Jack vigorously shook his head, a strand of his ginger hair falling over his forehead. "No!" Good Jack straightened out his sweater vest and held his head high, adding in a matter-of-fact tone. "You promised mother you would play with Megan today, remember?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "She's a brat that doesn't appreciate the art of mechanics... And I don't feel like it." He pushed sweaters out of the way, the smile crossing his face as he pulled on his heli-pack. Before Good Jack could object, the doors opened and he was caught in the stampede of metal and bolts. After hundreds of Jackbots later, Good Jack peered up from his hiding place under the table, which he was tackled into, and sighed sadly. Being the 'Good House Maid' he was, Good Jack closed the doors and grabbed the broom looking around at the pieces of rubble and sheet metal. He frowned. _Why am I always stuck with the cleaning?_ Good Jack slumped his shoulders, smiling as he returned to his usual self. "No matter! I'll have this place cleaned in no time!" Good Jack skipped to the radio, blasting his ears with Jack's death metal tracks. He yelped and turned the volume down. The language! With a shudder he turned the dial, working at the radio for a while before turning to his favorite station. It was playing a bubbly, teenage girls' pop song- and he could not be more happy! His smiled brightened as he sashayed around the basement, singing along to what would be his favorite song of the hour.

* * *

**Bad Jack: *crossing his arms, staring me down* Why is****_ he_**** in the story.**

**Good Jack: *looks on either side of him, then looks at us smiling* :D**

**Me: Because I love you****_ and_**** Good Jack! *turns to the fourth wall* I hope you enjoyed this update. Please, ****Read and Review**** and stay tuned for the next update! ;D**


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